WellsLink Hosts 15th Annual Transitions Ceremony; Welcomes Shaun R. Harper as Keynote

The Office of Multicultural Affairs hosts the 15th annual WellsLink Transitions Ceremony on Friday, Oct. 12, starting at 4 p.m. in Hendricks Chapel. Campus community members are invited to attend the ceremony to honor the WellsLink Scholars from the previous year who have successfully transitioned through the WellsLink Leadership Program and into their second year at Syracuse University. WellsLink is a nationally recognized academic excellence and leadership program for first-year students of color at Syracuse University.

Shaun R. Harper

“The Transition Ceremony is always a joyous celebration of our WellsLink Scholars’ accomplishments, as well as an opportunity to reflect on the incredible network on campus supporting our students’ success,” says Huey Hsiao, associate director in the Office of Multicultural Affairs and leader of the WellsLink Leadership Program. “Our WellsLink Scholars leverage every opportunity through the WellsLink Leadership Program and go on to excel inside and outside the classroom throughout their time at Syracuse. It’s always an honor to celebrate their achievements each year.”

The ceremony will feature a keynote from Shaun R. Harper, Ph.D., with a book signing and reception to follow. Harper is a Provost Professor in the Rossier School of Education and the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California. He also is the Clifford and Betty Allen Chair in Urban Leadership, founder and executive director of the USC Race and Equity Center, and immediate past president of the Association for the Study of Higher Education.

A nationally recognized scholar and researcher, Harper’s research focuses primarily on race, gender and other dimensions of equity in an array of organizational contexts, including K-12 schools, colleges and universities, and corporate environments. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and other academic publications, and received more than $13 million in research grants. Johns Hopkins University Press is publishing his 13th book, “Race Matters in College.” His research has been cited in more than 8,000 published studies. The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Chronicle of Higher Education, and over 11,000 news outlets have quoted Harper and featured his research, and he has interviewed on CNN, ESPN, and NPR.

Harper has been recognized in Education Week as one of the 10 most influential professors in the field of education. He spent a decade on the University of Pennsylvania faculty, where he founded the Center for the Study of Race and Equity in Education.

For more information about the 15th annual WellsLink Transitions Ceremony, contact Hsiao at huhsiao@syr.edu.

The WellsLink Leadership Program Class of 2021

• Christian Andino Borrero (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Ajene Arokium (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Malate Aschalew (David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics)
• Yen Ping Bao (Whitman School of Management)
• Kai T. Bason (College of Visual and Performing Arts)
• Ashley Blanco (S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications)
• Khari C. Brandes (S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications)
• Sanford E. Brown II (Whitman School of Management)
• Raylyn Cabrera Gomez (David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics)
• Emara S. Cambridge (David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics)
• Wendy Chen (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Zoe Cheng (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Janelle G. Chin (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Elizabeth A. Clarke (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
• Shakir R. Clarke (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Jennifer Diaz (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Nhari E. S. Djan (S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications)
• Karis E. Felton (David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics)
• Olivia Flores (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Adia Gist (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
• Elizabeth N. Guanipatin (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Naja I. Hall (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Hamza Hamid (Whitman School of Management)
• Justine C. Hastings (College of Arts and Sciences/School of Education )
• Diem Ho (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Farhan Islam (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Rajvi Jani (Whitman School of Management)
• Javier A. Lammoglia (College of Arts and Sciences/S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications)
• Rebecca E. Lan (S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications)
• Alexandra A. Larios-Garcia (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Connor A. Laurent (Whitman School of Management)
• Danielle E. Llewellyn (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Nicole H. Llewellyn (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
• Yang Lu (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
• Oliver J. Mack Jr (Whitman School of Management/S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications)
• Corey A. Marshalleck (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Nadia M. Mcmichael (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
• Ji Hyung Min (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Asif Mohammed (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
• Berkley M. Morgan (David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics)
• Victoria Muriel (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Alexa-Jada Nelson (S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications)
• Shamar H. Niang (Whitman School of Management)
• Victoria G. Payne (David B. Falk College of Sports and Human Dynamics)
• Cyan A. Perdue (David B. Falk College of Sports and Human Dynamics)
• Vi Pham (College of Information Studies)
• Christian Pilarski (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Lenny A. Reynoso (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Amy M. Rios (Whitman School of Management)
• Eliza Roberts (College of Visual and Performing Arts)
• Symone P. Roberts (David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics)
• Raven C. Robinson (College of Visual and Performing Arts)
• Brian Rodriguez (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
• Roxana Rojas (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Isabella Salgado (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
• Nicole Sarfo (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Jordan A. Shepherd (Whitman School of Management)
• Sierra R. St. Louis (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Isabella M. Taglioretti (School of Education)
• Mathew Thenor-Louis (S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications)
• Kyra D. Thomas (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
• Nana O. Tutu (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Valentina L. Velasquez (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Joshua Vindas (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
• Anisha Viswanathan (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Abhinav Yadava (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Qicheng Yang (College of Visual and Performing Arts)
• Xingzheng Zhao (College of Arts and Sciences)
• Angela Zheng (College of Arts and Sciences)